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Software as a service model still requires thick client, chip vendor argues

Intel is
positioning its
vPro
enterprise client computing platform as a way to fend off the threat from thin
client computers.

In a keynote presentation at the
Intel
Developer Forum in San Francisco, Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president of
Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, touted the platform's ability to merge the
advantages of thin and thick clients.

"The future for vPro is in enabling it to be the best 'software as a service'
client possible, balancing the computing overhead between the data centre and
the client," he told delegates.

Gelsinger argued that the platform would be able to deliver attributes from a
thick client such as mobility, a rich user interface and support for features
like video and voice communications, while embracing the key benefits of a thin
client through enhanced security and lower maintenance.

"This drives a breakthrough in data security as well as in the total cost of
ownership," he said.

A thin client is a computer that stores all data and applications on a
central server. They promise cost savings in management and offer better
security than a client computer because IT staff can perform all maintenance and
apply patches from a central location.

On the flip side, applications tend to show poor performance due to network
latency. There is also a limited selection of applications that can be delivered
over a network.

However, the advent of hosted applications, also known as 'software as a
service', has given the thin client a major boost.

Because applications like
Salesforce.com
or Google's
Writely
are accessed through a browser, they could warm up enterprises to thin client
computers.

Analyst firm
IDC said earlier
this week that shipments of thin client computers in Europe are outgrowing
regular desktop systems.

The largest vendors are
Wyse
Technology, HP
and
Neoware,
but the systems make up only six per cent of the overall PC market.